Category — Downtown

Sue Hostetler (inset) and Jon Diamond just sold their amazing Soho loft co-op at 81 Wooster Street for the $4.75 million asking price, according to public records. They paid $3.75 million for the co-op in 2006, making a nice gain on their investment.

Hostetler is an accomplished author, editor, and television personality. Having written Hip Hollywood Homes, she knows more than a little about real estate, style, and fashion.

Diamond is a serial music business entrepreneur and current chairman of digital media entertainment company ARTISTdirect.com where he focuses on the company’s strategic initiatives.

The buyers are Virginia Lebermann and John Wotowicz (inset) who are moving from Texas to Manhattan.

Jill Roosevelt of Brown Harris Stevens had the exclusive for this spectacular loft.

It has 3,000 square feet (see below) with wonderful views overlooking cobblestone streets in Soho’s historic cast iron district. The loft has 6 rooms, including 2 bedrooms, a sprawling living area, an office and a library, and an amazing kitchen and dining area. Hostetler described the 4-month transformation of her family’s loft by interior designer Valerie Pasquiou in Metropolitan Home.

The immaculate renovation was also featured in Gotham, In Style, and Quest Magazines.

Monthly maintenance for this pet-friendly loft was listed as incredibly low — just $1,829.

Roosevelt described the loft as having “grand proportions” and “a library with exquisite Jojoba wood built-ins, maple floors, central air, in-wall, state-of the art stereo and security system, and custom-made over-size steel and glass doors.” In addition to having a washer and dyer in a laundry room, the loft has amazing closet and storage space.

An 1,840 sq.ft. Tribeca condop loft at 125 Watts / 465 Greenwich just sold for $1,900,000. The co-op was sold as raw space, marketed as being a “Great Project…with great bones.” It has windows facing West with fabulous views of the Hudson River, and access is via a private keyed elevator. The elongated layout indicates a potential for building 2-3 bedrooms and 2 baths.

According to broker Sandy Mattingly, when it first came on the market, the apartment was listed for $1,795,000 in a FSBO situation. Owners Kate Gandall and Gerald Danish then opted (wisely) to use a broker to market their unit. Prudential Douglas Elliman’s Patty LaRocco and Beth Bongar had the listing, bumping up the price to $1,835,000.


Looks like they worked hard for the commission since the co-op ultimately sold for $65k “over ask.” That suggests there may have been a bidding war for the space.

The buyers are Matthew Goldberg and Rain Kramer, daughter of the late avant-garde director and political filmmaker Robert Kramer.

Monthly maintenance charges are $1,975. The building, like almost all Tribeca co-ops, is pet friendly.

What is a Condop?
You’re probably asking yourself what the heck is this condop thing? It’s actually a co-op apartment building that uses condo rules and bylaws for apartment owners instead of cooperative regulations that restrict things like subletting.

Commercial stores on the ground floor are condominiums, while the apartments above it are co-ops.

Building History, Neighbors, and Stores
Until the end of January shareholders in the building were able to make a quick stop for cupcake, pie, or cake at local piemaker Umanoff & Parsons that located in the building’s ground floor commercial space on Greenwich Street. Alas, they must wait while the bakers build new facilities in East Harlem.

According to New York City public records, Jane Umanoff and Allen Parsons sold their loft above the bakery at 467 Greenwich in January 2006 for $1.3 million. Talk about having your cake!

New neighbors include acclaimed portrait photographer Michelle Asselin and Joseph Meltzer who paid $1,825,000 at the end of February 2008 for a loft on a high floor at 465 Greenwich. They bought their loft from funky installation artist Maria Reidelbach. In her Gnome on the Range” project, Reidelbach created ‘Gnome Chomsky,’ recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s tallest garden gnome at 13′ 6″!

Nearby establishments also include Bazzini’s, the famed nut purveyor and noshery. Yaffa’s Tea Room is also a block away. Her Mediterranean fare is not only outstanding, it’s served straight from the heart: Yaffa’s became the unofficial refueling station for rescue personnel working 24/7 after September 11th.

Floorplan credit: Prudential Douglas Elliman

A guy who made his fortune selling baseball, football, hockey, and Elvis trading cards just bought a Soho loft co-op apartment in the historic Gunther Building (inset, left) for $3,925,000.

According to New York City public records, the new owner is Daniel C. Shedrick. He and his friends can throw quite a few cards around the apartment’s enormous living room that overlooks the corner of Greene and Broome Streets

Brown Harris Stevens real estate brokers Wendy Maitland and Wilbur Gonzalez had the exclusive on this fabulous downtown loft. This 1 bedroom, 1 bath unit sold for $70,000 less than ‘the ask’ of $3,995,000.

One nice bonus: shareholders don’t pay a cent in maintenance. No, that’s not a typo. The commercial tenant on the ground floor — currently the luxury bath design firm, Waterworks — pays for the entire building’s maintenance.

According to Soho-Lofts.com, the Gunther Building has an amazing history, and a list of some high-profile current and former shareholders. Lenny Kravitz and his former wife Lisa Bonet owned a Gunther Building cooperative apartment together after they were first married, buying it in 1989.

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